Auto signal



F. J. RYAN AUTO SIGNAL Apr. 17, 1923.;

Filed March 18 I! I Illliill.

Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

r ori.

FREDERICKJ. RYAN, or 'rononro, ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUTO SIGNAL.

7 '0 all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. RYAN,

a subject of the-King'of Great Britain, re-

siding at Toronto, in the Province of On- 5 tario and Dominion ofCanada, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in an AutoSignal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile sig- 10 nals and more particularlyto brake actuated devices of this character.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient signalof this character which is automatically displayed by the application ofthe brakes, and withdrawn on the release thereof. v

Another 1 object is to provide improved means for limiting the movementof the signal arm or semaphore member in both raised and loweredpositions. i I 1 With these and other objects in view the inventionconsists of such novel features of construction as herein after shownand described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and inthe drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the inven tion.Y

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents aside elevation of aportion of an automobile in dotted lines with this improved signal shownapplied;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the signal and its controlling mechanismshown partly in section and with parts broken out; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the signalling mechanismtaken in a plane at right'angle to that shown in Fig. 2.

In the'embodiment illustrated the apparatus constituting this inventioncomprises an attaching blocker casting 1 designed to be screwed orotherwise fastened to the bottom of the carbody' as shown clearly inFig. 1 and to which is pivotally connected at one end a bar 2 mounted tooscillate longitudinally of the car which is provided with a pluralityof longitudinally spaced apertures 3 for the connection of asubstantially shaped stirrup 'member'c, the ends of which straddle thelowerend-of'the bar 2 and are pivotally engaged with one of theapertures 3a plurality of which are provided to adapt'the apparatus forattachment to various makes of cars.

- of a coiled spring 11 mounted within a cas- 'is mounted outside thecasing and adapted A Application filed. March 18, 1921. Serial No.$53,241.

one of them and being secured by a nut,

while engaged with the other end is a'cable 10 having aknot 9 on itsinner end to prevent it slipping through the aperture in the end 8 ofthe bar 7 with which it is connected. The cable 19 is preferablyconstructed of twisted steel wire to adapt it to withstand the strain towhich it will be subjected and it is connected at its other end with oneend ing 12 attached to any suitable part of the car preferably at therear thereof as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. This cable within the easingpasses around pulleys13 and lfl'one of which is arranged at the upperendof-said casing and the other at the lower end thereof, as is shownclearly in Figs. 2 and 3, the pulley 1 1 opening through the bottom ofthe casing so that the cable 10 may pass around the grooved peripherythereof and be guided in its longitudinal movements for a purposepresently to be described.

The casing 12 -is provided at'its lower end with a detachable cap-likeclosure 15 which 'is'secur ed to the casing by the "pintle 16 of whichthe pulley 1 1 is mounted as is shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. Thisclosure 15 has a laterally extended apertured arm in the form of a plate17 which. is designed for attachlng the casing to a sup'portingstructure which may be any part of the car body or frame. I j

The upper pulley 13 as shown has a hub 18 fixedly mounted to its pintleor shaft 19 by a screw or otherwise (see Fig. 2.), said sleeve; 18operating as'a spacer bearing against the opposed inner faces of thecasing 12 to prevent longitudinal movement of the pintle. 1 p A shaft 20is rotatably mounted in the casing 12 ab ove the pulley 13 and hasfixedly mounted thereon the hub 21 of a head 22 of a signal arm orsemaphore 23 wliicharm m to swing into position at right'an'gles' to thecasing when the signal is to be displayed and dropped down parallel withthe casing when not in use. This arm 23 may have any desired indiciacarried thereby such as the word Stop to indicate when it is swung intooperative position that the vehicle upon which it is mounted is about tostop or may have the word Brake-on or any similar Word desired by theoperator or owner of the car to be used, to indicate that he is applyinghis brake to stop the vehicle or to slow it down.

A strap 24: of leather or other suitable strong material extends aroundthe shaft 20 and is fixed intermediate its ends to said shaft by a screwor otherwise as shown clearly in Figure 2, and has its opposed endsextended downwardly into the casing 12 and secured one to the spring 11andthe other to a similar spring 25', the lower ends of said springsbeing engaged with a cross-rod 26 mounted in the lower end of the casing12.

The head 22 of the semaphore arm 28 has an inwardly and laterallyextended pin or stud 27 which projects through an arcuate slot 28 in theadjacent side wall of the casing 12 (see Fig. 8). This arcuate slot 28is so positioned relatively to the stud 27 as to limit the upward anddownward swinging movement of the semaphore 23, said-stud engaging theupper end of said slot when the arm 23 is in vertical lowered positionas shown in Fig. 8 and engaging the lower end thereof, when said arm isswung upwardly in a plane at right angles of the easmg.

A caplike closure 29 fits over the upper end of the casing 12 and isdetachably secured thereto to afford access to the interior of thecasing when desired.

In the use of this signal the casing 12 carrying the arm 23 is mountedat any suitable point on the car as above stated preferably at the rearthereof and the casting'or block 1 is secured to the bottom of the carso as to position the bar 2 in the path of a laterally extending fingeror lugSO carried by the brake rod 31 as is shown-clearly in Figs. 1 and2, so that when the brake is applied the forward movement of the rodwill cause said finger 80 to engage bar 2 and swing it on its pivotalconnection with the casting 1 thereby exerting a pull on cable 10 whichoperates through the springs and slot 24: to rotate the shaft 20 andswing the arm 23 into its extreme upward position. at right angles'tothe'casing 1 thereby displaying the-signal. carried thereby andindicating to following vehicles that he is applying his brake to stopor slow down his car. Immediately thebrake is released the-stud orfinger 30 will be moved away from the bar. 2 and permits said bar underthe action ofthe spring 25 and't'he gravity ofarm 23 to: move" intovertical position'thus permitting said arm to drop into inoperativeposition with the signal withdrawn. From the above it will be seen thatthis signal is automatically operated on the application of the brakeand similarly released when the brake is released so that after it isonce applied it requires no further attention to ensure its operation.

The signal operating finger 30 which is carried by the brake rodobviously may be attached to said rodin any desired manner and as hereshown is carried by a split clamping collar 82, detachably mounted onthe brake rod. The collar carrying the finger of course forms a part ofthe signal equipment and is applied with the apparatus constituting theinvention.

From the above description it will be obvious that this improvedsignalling apparatus may be readily applied to any car already in use byinexperienced workmen, all that is necessary being to properly positionthe block 1 relatively to the'brakerod under the car and to clamp; theactuating finger 30 on said rod at theproper position tocause it to comeinto action at the proper time to raise arm 23 when the brake isapplied.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawingsand set forth in the specifications, but it will be understood that anymodifications within the scope of the claims-may be made in theconstruction without departing from the principle of the invention orsacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim is i 1. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprisingan attaching block adapted to be secured to a vehicle body, anoscillatory bar pivotally connected to one end and depending from saidblock, a. stirrup straddling and pivotally connected toithe lower end ofthe rod, a threaded bolt carried by and 'projectingifrom' saidstirrup'andat an angle with respect to said rod, an adjusting membermounted on the bolt, means arranged within said member and adjustablymounted on the threaded portion of the bolt for adjusting said memberrelatively to the belt. a movable signal adapted to be supported fromthe vehicle body, and aflexible element attached to said member andsignal for operating the latter whenthe. bar is shifted.

' 2. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a casing,supporting means therefor, a rock shaft mounted in andhaving on endprojecting from one, wall of said casing, a signal arm secured on theprojecting end of said shaft and exterior of said casing and adaptedto'be elevated and lowered when said shaft is. rocked in oppositedirections, a pair of-coiledsprin'gs arranged within and having theirlower 5 application of th braking element of a ends secured to thebottom of said casing, a upper end of one of said springs and theflexible strip secured at its ends to the upper brake element actuatingmeans of a vehicle, ends of said springs and extended over and wherebythe arm is raised on the application 10 secured to said shaft andactuated on the of the braking element of the vehicle.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature vehicle to shift said shaftto elevate said hereto.

signal arm, and a connection between the FREDERICK J. RYAN.

